The Wacky Vintage Spread Only '70s Kids Remember

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If you grew up in the 1970s, you'll definitely remember this one — a nutty, neon-hued spread that looked like peanut butter but acted more like a sugar rush in a jar. Koogle was Kraft's short-lived answer to boring brown lunchbox fillers, and it made no apologies for what it was: candy-fied chaos on toast. Introduced in 1974, the spread came in four over-the-top flavors — chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and banana — all housed in cheerful jars with a wide-mouthed grin and the wide-eyed gaze of its chaotic mascot. Think Nutella if it took a detour through Saturday morning cartoons.

Packaged food was booming, and while Kraft helped change the landscape for packaged food through more lasting staples, Koogle was more of a chaotic detour. It hit shelves just in time for back-to-school season, and Kraft made sure the commercials stuck — literally. In one ad, a child gleefully declares the spread "doesn't make my mouth stick together," a sly jab at traditional peanut butter's glue-like reputation. The branding was loud, the flavors were louder, and the target audience was crystal clear: hyper kids with a sweet tooth and no palate for plain peanuts.

Today, most people under 50 have never even heard of it, but Koogle still has a cult following. And yes, there is even a Koogle-themed T-shirt being sold on Amazon.

Koogle didn't last long. Despite Kraft's marketing push, the spread began disappearing from shelves just two years after launch. By 1976, it was already slipping out of rotation in the U.S., and by 1978, it was basically gone. Canada held on a little longer — but not by much. The likely culprit? Koogle was a niche product trying to ride the wave of a trend that fizzled.

Still, nostalgia runs deep — especially when it comes to old school snacks. Koogle might've vanished from grocery store aisles, but it's alive and well in the memories of people who grew up with its candy-sweet flavors and offbeat charm. There's even a Facebook group called Bring Back Koogle Peanut Butter, where former fans trade memories, photos, and the occasional wishful rumor. "I was a teenager in the 1970s and loved Koogle. I used to eat it right out of the jar," one member wrote. Another recalled, "I remember Koogle quite well as a kid of the seventies. I'd love to see it back and I'm sure that it would be well received."

And then there's the mascot: the Koogle Nut — a red, wobbly-eyed fever dream of a puppet that looked like a jar of peanut butter crossed with a Muppet who missed rehearsal. He didn't speak. He jiggled, he spun, he danced — and if nothing else, he made sure Koogle stuck in your head, even if it didn't stick around.